ADVOCACY

On Friday, May 15th, the House passed the HEROES Act, their version of a Phase IV package directed at aiding the COVID-19 pandemic response. Timeline and review of this proposal is pending, as leadership is still evaluating the economic impact of a re-opening. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stated that it was highly likely that another rescue package would be undertaken, but that it would not resemble the $3 trillion HEROES House proposal. He also expressed that the next bill would not continue the additional $600 a week in unemployment as it does not encourage people to get back to work.

CNE is partnering with Legal Aid of East Tennessee and local attorneys to provide free legal assistance to those facing eviction during the COVID-19 crisis. Free legal assistance may also be available for other legal issues. Please call 423-756-6271 to leave a voicemail with your name and a phone number where you can be reached.

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The Chattanooga City Council approved a resolution to reprogram up to $600,000 of prior year’s CDBG funding to provide rental and utility assistance in response to COVID-19. They additionally approved a resolution to use $250,000 of THDA funding for the same purpose.

Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise was approved to facilitate the rental and utility assistance payments.

The City Council also approved a resolution to accept CARES Act funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development totaling $938,930.

Of the approximate $150 billion in the CARES Act for Coronavirus Relief Fund, the state of Tennessee is allocated to receive approximately $2.6 billion. In most states, local governments with populations over 500,000 will be provided a portion of this money automatically. Hamilton County has a population of approximately 360,000, so protocol for funding is at this time undetermined. To learn more about how this dynamic impacts the local response to COVID-19, please see this TFP piece.

CNE has instituted an eviction freeze through July 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe this is the compassionate action to take to ensure that our tenants who have lost their jobs or suffered other economic hardship during this time have shelter for themselves and family.

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However, we encourage CNE tenants to make payment arrangements during this time as the missed rent payments will still need to be paid by August 1, 2020 unless payment arrangements have been previously approved.

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As we learn more about COVID-19, CNE is considering a number of policies to advocate for on behalf of our city and its residents. To tell us directly what you believe is essential, please respond here. We will not respond to the surveys as a service provider. For resources and updates, please reference the information available throughout this section of our site.

Take Action Now

As we wait to better understand the resources available to states and municipalities for COVID-19, it is important that you act now and share what needs you and your family are experiencing.

To make your voice heard as these policy decisions are being made, please contact your elected representatives. To determine who your representative is, you can visit: